The worldwide network of computers commonly known as the "Internet" has seen explosive growth in the last several years. This growth has been typically fueled by the introduction and widespread use of "web" browsers that allow for simple graphical user interface-based access to network servers. Such network servers typically support documents formatted as "web pages." The "world wide web" (www) is a collection of servers on the Internet that utilize the Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP). HTTP is a known application protocol that provides users access to files using a standard page description language referred to as Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML). It should be noted that files may be provided in different formats such as text, graphics, images, sound, and video, among others. HTML provides basic document formatting and allows a developer to specify "links" to other servers and files. Use of an HTML-compliant client browser involves specification of a link via a Uniform Resource Locator, known commonly by the acronym "URL." Upon specification of a URL, a client may make a TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) request to the server identified in the link and receive a "web page" in return, where the "web page" is a document formatted according to HTML.
Currently, many individuals have personal web pages on the Internet to provide personal information to others communicating via the world wide web. Through the use of such personal web pages, individuals may advertise goods or services they provide, as well as information about themselves, to the general public. Given the general accessibility of web pages by the public, individuals typically limit personal information displayed on their web page to a discrete amount of data. When information is disseminated about an individual via a web page, some of the information may include phone numbers, e-mail addresses, fax numbers, mobile telephone numbers, and pager numbers, as well as other communication services. However, even though a person is able to access another person's web page via the Internet, the accessing party must use a separate communication device to access the web page owner. For example, the accessing party must use a telephone to call the individual's land line telephone, page the person, or call the owner's cellular or mobile phone. Furthermore, it is only after attempting to reach the owner's communication device that the accessing party is able to determine that the communication device is inactive or inaccessible. Thus, the accessing party may lose valuable time in attempting to contact an individual associated with a web page, or even a regular paper business card, through communication devices listed thereon that are currently inaccessible.
Therefore, a need exists for a data processing system and methodology for providing information, including accessibility, about an individual in a communication system.